Feed mixer



March 25, 1958 o. KAMME-R 2,828,112

- FEED MIXER Filed March 26, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

OSWIN KAMMER v ATTORNEY United FEED MIXER Oswin Kammer, Davenport, Iowa Application March 26, 1956, Serial No. 573,957

15 Claims. (Cl. 259-46) This invention relates to a machine for mixing fluent material, especially feed for animals, and has for a principal object the provision of an improved machine, preferably portable and mobile, that combines mixing and feeding functions to the end that animals in pens, stalls, etc. may be conveniently fed with properly mixed feed.

The machine" is particularly well adapted to the gruel feeding of hogs, for example, in which ground feed of any one of several varieties, or ground feed of different types, may be readily mixed with liquid such as water, buttermilk and the like, which mixed material is handled by a machine that serves not only to mix and feed the material but also to transport the material to useful locations. To this end the machine embodies a container or tank in which the different substances and liquids are delivered or loaded, plus a mixing auger having helical sections of opposite hands, one of which serve as an output pump and the other of which affords an agitating action on portions of the material in the container. It is also an important object to utilize reversible driving mechanism for the auger to reverse its direction of rotation not only to create a different type of agitating action but also to exploit the pump section of the auger as an intake means whereby liquid may be drawn into the container by the normal discharge conduit. The invention features a simple and economical mobile frame which may be easily drawn by a tractor or like vehicle having a power take-off by means of which the auger may be driven through a forwardreverse transmission gear set. Another object of the invention is to provide means for applying heat to the container to keep the contents from freezing during use in low-temperature conditions. Other objects and features inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become apparent as a preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed, by way of example, in the ensuing specification and accompanying drawings, the several figures of which are described below.

Figure 1 is a right front perspective of the machine.

Figure 2 is a left rear perspective of the machine.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the machine with a portion of the top removed.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a transverse section on the line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a representative forward-reverse transmission.

The machine chosen for the purposes of illustration comprises a mobile main frame 10 carried on right and left wheels 12 and 14 and including a forward hitch or drawbar 16 for connection to a draft vehicle, such as a tractor (not shown). The frame has right and left side members 18 and 28 between which and other frame members not significant here a container 22 is supported. This container has front and rear walls 24 and 26, respectively, and right and left fore-and-aft side walls 28 and 30 which slope laterally inwardly and downward ly to afford a fore-and-aft bottom trough 32. An auger tube 34 is coaxial with the trough and extends rearwardly from the front wall 24 to a terminal rear end 36 short of the rear wall 26; in a preferred construction, the length of the tube 34 is approximately one-third of the distancebetween the front and rear walls; although, this proportion can be varied. A front bafile 38 is disposed across the forward portions of the side walls 28 and 30 and slopes downwardly and rearwardly to a suitable junction with the rear end 36 of the tube, the purpose of the baffle being to influence the material toward the trough 32 for entrance into the rear end of the tube as will appear below. The baffle is preferably welded in place,

as is the tube, which method of securement is used throughout the construction in the interests of strength and economy. The marginal upper edges of the walls 24, 26, 28 and 30 are peripherally flanged at 40 to support a container top or ceiling 42 which has at its rear portiona feed or loading opening 44 normally closed by a removable cover 46 suitably releasably latched as at 48. The location of the feed opening 44 at the rear places it away from moving parts, such as the drive mechanism to be presently described. Since the top is closed except for the opening 44, there is virtually nodanger of an operator being injured by internal working parts.

The rear wall 26 is generally upright, but the sloping front baffle 38 and inwardly sloping side walls 28 and 30 causes the material in the container to naturally gravitate to the trough 32, whence the material is not only fed outwardly through a forward discharge outlet 58 at the front of the tube 34 but is mixed and agitated in the meantime. a suitable type or types of ground animal feed mixed with liquid such as water, milk, buttermilk and other well known ingredients. The outlet 50 is suitably connected to a flexible discharge conduit such as a hose 52 having any conventional type of valved nozzle 54. The hose when not in use is conveniently carried by side hangers 56.

A combination agitating and feeding auger 58 is disposed coaxially in the trough 32 and tube 34 and has front and rear helical sections 60 and 62, respectively, of opposite hand. The auger includes a central auger shaft which projects forwardly at 64 for connection to forwardreverse driving mechanism 66, which is here shown as a forward-reverse gear set (Figure 6) having an input shaft 68 connectible to the power take-off (not shown) of the drawing tractor. The shaft 68 has an internal-external gear 70 keyed thereto, the external portion of which is in constant mesh with a countershaft gear 72 which rotates in unison with a second coaxial countershaft gear 74. The gear 74 is in constant mesh with a reverse idler 76. A sliding gear 78 is splined to the forward end of the auger shaft 66 forselective mesh with either the internal part of the gear 70 or the reverse idler 76. The former produces forward drive of the auger (clockwise as seen in Figure l) and the latter produces reverse drive (counterclockwise as seen in Figure 1).

During forward drive, the front section 68 of the auger, which exceeds the length of the tube 34 so as to extend rearwardly beyond the terminal rear end 36 of the tube and hence into the trough, feeds or pumps material forwardly through the tube and out through the outlet 50 to the hose 52. The rear section 62 of the anger at this time moves portions of the material back against the rear wall 26 of the container, whereby the material sloshes around and partakes of a mixing or agitating action. In view of the rearward extent of the auger section' 60 beyond the'rear end of the tube, the section is capaci-- Patented Mar. 25, 1958 As stated above, the material may benen ieedins. nt thetuh tdlesso th tehdeh yte the rear auger section 62 to drive portions of the material rearwardly. The front auger section 60 fits the uheatela iv lycl e y t .:i ptev t epuma n r eedi eet en- H c t ee hiat ne the s op n id -Wa San an lop n bat 38 W t heeus a d en e afie ds a e e td e y of tieniham yt e ing while mixing.

When the transmission or drivingrneehanis m is shifted t-o reverse drive, the'front section tends; topropel material rearwardly and the rear section drives the material forweird y th oppo te y i en Por on ofth m terie ee ns; subs antially eentr ye the eenteine tosu sel pw ir y; n u rd yr hus supple en in the sh tt ien ob a n du .fe er d Afu th un t qft ef entau t o duri -r e dr reie ha of a n ke pu p wh c is eeh ve y' mmer i t opened nozzle of the hose SZ intoa container at-liquid 1 9 as Water, he y th auger W l p mp th' .liq into, the container 22. In normal use, afterthecontainer has been filled as desired with material, the hose be supported or carried as in Figures 1 and 2, withits noz zle closed, and during transport of the machineto theplace or places of use, the transmission will be shifted into reveree so as to obtain the aforesaid mixingactign en route. When the feeding situs is reached, the transmission will be shifted to forward and the hose usedtodjstributethe me r e e ilhdu r s hieht m t i t mixin ee ie twi e a h W ehth ee ta ne tank is emptied, it may be Washed with water or detergent by simply adding the water, etc. and using the-auger and driving mechanism to rinse and ultimately emptythe eontainer.

As best seen in Figures 1, 2 and S, the side wallsjti and 30-respectively have upright extensions 89 and, 82;, which are offset at the junction With the sloping portiqns; and side sheets 84 and 86 respectively depend frorn the junctions and join laterally outwardly bottom sheet portiqns 80 and 90, thus affording at opposite sides ofz the body fore-and-aft heating chambers '92 and 94, the end ,walls 24 and 2 6 having sufiicient transverse extent to close these chambers at front and rear, as will be apparent from Figures l and 2. Thesechambers respectively houseoren close heaters or burner tubes 96 and 98, which run parallel to the sidewalls Z3 and 30 and which are suitably su d t the frem .a-fue an M ee riede fih rea of thema chine (Figure 2). The. typeofheatingssytern maybe varied according lo the fuel supply conditions in the particular area and that shown is ,rnerelyi representative. The details may be varied withent sacrifieingany of the benefits of ,the invention. {The outer 'orgexterior What is claimed is: a

1. A mobile mixer for fluent feed material or the like, comprising: a fore-and-aft wheeled frame having forward hitch means for connection to a tractor having a. power take-off; a material container on the frame and having front and rear end walls and fore-and-aft side walls, said side walls sloping laterally inwardly and downwardly to define a fore-and-aft auger trough extending forwardly from the rearend wall; an auger tube coaxial with thettroughand extending rearwardly from the front wall to a rear terminal end short of the rear wall and in .axialcomrnunication with. the, trough, said tube having a material outlet, therein adjacent to its front end; an anger coaxially disposedin the trough and tube and including an auger shaft extending through the front wall, said auger further including a helical front section of greater length than the tube so as to extend throughout the tube'and .to project also .a substantial distancebeyond thesrearaend of the tube 'land-short ofnthe rear wall of the container, saidaauger-having a coaxial rear helical sectioniexteridingfrom' the rear wall toland substantially meetingctheire'ar. end' of theifront section vand being of opposite hand as respects said front section, said sections occupying a major portion of the fore-and-aft distance betweenthe front andlfrear walls; and driveirnechanism carriedbythe frame and "connected totthe augershaft and adapted for driving-connection to the power take-off of a the tractor to rotatethe anger insuch direction that the front sectionPfe'eds material forwardly to the ma-' terial outlet while the rear section moves: portions of the material rearwardly against the rear wall to afiord-a material-agitating actioni V i i i '2. Theinvention -defined in claim 1, in which: the drive mechanism includes selectively operative forwardreverse means for driving the auger in either theaforesaid direction or a reverse direction whereby said-sections move material portions toward the center of-the coritainer to afford a further materiahagitating action.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, including:- means at each side Wall of the container-forming-a heating chamber including the exterior surface of. said'side-Wall; heater means in each chambenand a fuel container-supported on the mixer and connected to and for supplying fuel to the heater-means. i

.4. The invention defined-in claim 3, in which: the main frame includes opposite fore-and-aftsidemembers spaced laterally outwardly from the trough; the chamber a forming means at each side of the container includes the surfaces of the side ,walls 2s .;1nn;3e afferd the respective upper parts of the chambers and adequately protect: the contents of the containeror tanlc22 frornfreezing during low-temperatureoperation. a

The hitch ldtrnay be provided with a stand ltll to stgpport the machine whennot connected to airactbrorthe like. 7 l 7 Features and advantages of the ..inyention;include the provision of the walls 28andl30 andthe trough 32which define. a rear bottom .part in-tthe container which material accumulatesby gravity and fro rnf wlneh the; front section of the augerfoperates astaieonyeyor ,to remove material to the outletSj G, the reaneect'on iof the e i -es teti sni en d xe lby awn eye: e he of the augerand operafiyeto. agitate r nateriallinthe ear part of the container. --In this respe'ct, itlsho uld beu den stood that such: pres orisas f front, "rearj .etcI, used here and in the;append {claims} are -intende chas terms of convenience and snot lo limitation. inventive feahre a i e lhe yheveeetbe a egeri a ly m e he e w hes euhtedl eeeu e-thes rye s'ed i the-a t "W ,:PJ3nY- Q@ fi 1.!1 :QhQPIf em edime di919$ n 1x9fi whi h; may h t ehi yedwi hout depar ur fr m the sp rit ands op o h inve t onaforesaid exteriorsurface o'f the side Wall, a bottom sheet extending outwardly from the trough toward the respective side frame member, and aside sheetfextending vertically between'saidbottom sheet and an'upper portion of therespective sloping sidewall to give said chamber a triangular sectionand said chambers extending upwardly beyond the level -.of the anger; the end 'Walls we tend laterally and join the respective side and bottom sheets to close the-phamber at its opposite ends; and the respective heater'means is housed in the chamber.

5. The invention-defined in claim l, in which: the front wall is generally upright; and a ba'ffie' extendsacross between the side walls and slopes rearwardly and downwardly fromsaid front wall to the rear end of the auger tube.

6. The invention defined in claim 1, including: a-flexible dischargeconduit connected to the'discharge outlet for conveying material remotely from the container.

7. Thejnvention defined in claim 6, inwhich: the front anger section c l osely fits the. tube to afford a materialpumping effect as respects the discharge utlet; and the drive mechanism is selectiyely reversible to reverse said pumping effect so ,as .to drafw material .into the container via said conduitand utlet.

8. A mixer for fluent feed material or the. like, comprising: a material container having front and-rear end walls and fore-and-aft side walls, said side walls sloping laterally inwardly and downwardly to define a fore-andaft auger trough extending forwardly from the rear end wall; an anger tube coaxial with the trough and extending rearwardly from the front wall to a rear terminal end short of the rear wall and in axial communication with the trough, said tube having a material outlet therein adjacent to its front end; an anger coaxially disposed in the trough and tube and including an auger shaft extending through the front wall, said auger further including a helical front section of greater length than the tube so as to extend throughout the tube and to project also a substantial distance beyond the rear end of the tube and short of the rear wall of the container, said auger having a coaxial rear helical section extending from the rear wall to and substantially meeting the rear end of the front section and being of opposite hand as respects said front section, said sections occupying a major portion of the fore-and-aft distance between said front and rear walls;

and drive mechanism connected to the auger shaft to rotate the auger in such direction thatthe front section feeds material forwardly to the material outlet while the rear section moves portions of the material rearwardly against the rear wall to afford a material-agitating action.

9. The invention defined in claim 8, in which: the drive mechanism includes selectively operative forwardreverse means for driving the auger in either the aforesaid direction or a reverse direction whereby'said sections move material portions toward the center of the container to afford a further material-agitating action.

10. The invention defined in claim 8, including: a flexible discharge conduit connected to the discharge outlet for conveying material remotely from the container.

11. The invention defined in claim 10, in which: the front auger section closely fits the tube to afford a material-pumping effect as respects the discharge outlet; and the drive mechanism is selectively reversible to reverse said pumping effect so as to draw material into the container via said conduit and outlet.

12. A mixer for fluent feed material or the like, comprising: a material container having front and rear ends, a bottom and a plurality of walls, certain of the walls sloping inwardly and downwardly to define a rear bottom part in which material accumulates; a fore-and-aft auger tube having a rear end opening to said rear bottom part and extending forwardly to an outlet; feed and agitating mechanism in the container, including a feed auger coaxially contained in the auger tube and projecting a substantial distance into said rear bottom part to a terminal rear end and agitating means in said rear bottom part and extending rearwardly from said terminal rear end and drivingly connected to the auger; and drive mechanism connected to and for driving the auger normally in a feeding direction from rear to front for simultaneously driving the agitating means via the auger.

13. The invention defined in claim 12, in which: the drive mechanism is selectively reversible for reversing the direction of the auger.

14. A mixer for fluent feed material or the like, comprising: a material container having front and rear ends, a bottom and a plurality of walls, certain of the walls sloping inwardly and downwardly to define a rear bottom part in which material accumulates; a fore-and-aft conveyor tube having a rear end opening to said rear bottom part and extending forwardly to an outlet; conveyor and agitating mechanism in the container, including a conveyor contained in the tube and projecting a substantial distance into said rear bottom part to a terminal rear end portion and agitating means in said rear bottom part and extending rearwardly from said terminal rear end portion and drivingly connected to the conveyor; and drive mechanism connected to and for driving the conveyor normally in a feeding direction from rear to front for simultaneously driving the agitating means via the conveyor.

15. The invention defined in claim 14, in which: the drive mechanism is selectively reversible for reversing the direction of the conveyor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 405,499 Peabody June 18, 1889 1,492,061 Averill Apr. 29, 1924 1,753,716 Owen Apr. 8, 1930 1,867,838 Jaeger July 19, 1932 2,225,215 Guthrie Dec. 17, 1940 2,552,763 Baumann May 15, 1951 

